Lord Of The Lost

After returning the magic warhorse to the border town, William felt a sense of closure. His in-game time for the day was up. With one last glance at the virtual landscape, he faded out of the game world.

…

[ID: Wallace Beethovenish]

[Level: 9]

[Constitution: 14.4]

[Spirit: 11.1]

[Energy: 11.4]

…

William blinked and opened his eyes, adjusting to the familiar surroundings of the real world. He wasted no time and logged directly into the player forums, where the chatter was already buzzing with excitement.

One post immediately caught his attention:

"Boss, I have awakened my talent!"

It was bold, enthusiastic. Curious, William clicked on it.

A player had awakened the ability of regeneration, an impressive talent that allowed them to recover from injuries quickly. According to the post, it had come naturally, unlocked by leveling up and allocating points in the right attributes. It seemed to have been an effortless process for this player, and the replies below reflected the community's growing excitement.

Metatron, one of the prominent figures in the forums, had chimed in, stating, "Everyone should have a talent. It's like dominant and recessive genes. As you level up, these hidden abilities come to the surface."

The responses flooded in. Players shared their stories of newly discovered talents: one could manipulate fire with a mere thought, another possessed overwhelming strength, while some boasted enhanced senses, like superior hearing. Even more astonishing were the reports of awakened spiritual talent, one player claimed they could move objects with their mind, reminiscent of the telekinesis powers from movies.

The forum was ablaze with activity. More and more players were awakening talents, most happening around levels 5 or 6. The abilities were diverse and unique, and those who hadn't yet unlocked their own talents couldn't hide their envy.

William raised an eyebrow, intrigued by how quickly things were evolving. At first, he was surprised, but then, Metatron's explanation made sense. Beta players like him each had unique characteristics, and the process of leveling up was about discovering and developing those hidden strengths.

Metatron had posted further down, "For those who haven't awakened their talent yet, don't worry. As you progress to levels 7 and 8, your chances of awakening increase. It's just a matter of time."

Despite the reassuring tone, William knew there was a significant gap between those who unlocked their talents early and those who would discover them later. Early talents meant an edge in the game, a chance to shape strategies sooner. The difference could be monumental.

William thought for a moment and decided to contribute to the conversation. He typed up a quick post:

"The experience points required to upgrade from level 8 to 9 are 600 points, and from level 9 to 10, it's a staggering 1,500 points."

He hit send. His in-game ID 'Breeze blowing over the hills', accompanied by his title as a forum admin, appeared with the message. He didn't add much fanfare to it, just a simple observation of the increasing difficulty.

It didn't take long for the replies to pour in.

"Whoa! Big brother's already at level 9?"

"No way, that's insane! The road ahead is completely blocked!"

"Outrageous! The experience gap is brutal!"

Some were shocked at the sheer number of experience points needed, while others were in awe of William's level itself. It wasn't clear whether they were more astonished by the experience requirements or William's own fast-paced progress.

William leaned back, a small smirk playing on his lips. He had expected the reactions, but deep down, he was just glad to see the game evolving in ways no one had anticipated. The race to unlock talents and climb through the levels had become even more intense, and he was right in the thick of it.

As he logged off the forum, he sighed softly, looking at the ceiling. "The grind never ends," he murmured to himself. But with every new discovery, with every unlocked talent, the game world felt even more alive and he was ready for whatever came next.

The Gambler chimed in with a skeptical tone, "Does it really require that many experience points? Metatron, what do you think about this?"

Metatron, ever the thoughtful voice in the forums, replied calmly, "I think these experience points are a form of compensation."

"Compensation?" Several players responded, clearly confused.

Metatron explained, "Have you not noticed how much greater the benefits are for players who level up in the early stages compared to what it costs?"

A pause lingered in the thread as the players mulled this over. Had there been?

Silence hung for a moment, and then came the realization. Most players, William included, had been speechless. The jump from level 1 to level 2 required only 5 experience points; a tiny number when compared to the steep costs later on. Insignificant, really.

Metatron continued, "The difficulty of leveling up should follow a gradual, consistent progression. Ideally, the experience points needed should increase step by step. However, it's not like that in this game."

He added, "In fact, if the progression were more balanced, the jump from level 1 to level 2 should have required over 200 experience points, not just 5."

Now, even William found himself puzzled, as were the other players. He knew the game required 2,475 experience points to go from level 1 to level 10, but this made him wonder whether the design was truly reasonable.

Metatron clarified his reasoning. "Let's assume you earn 1 experience point for killing a monster of the same level. To advance from level 1 to 2, you should be fighting 200 level 1 monsters. By the time you're level 10, you'd be fighting level 10 monsters; 200 of them at least."

He continued, his words weaving through the forum, "But in this game, the early experience requirements are far too low. The developers let us level up quickly in the beginning. In return, they make us pay the price later 1,500 experience points to get from level 9 to 10."

"In a sense," he added with a wry note, "every level-up in the early game is an overdraw from our future. And now, in the later stages, we have to pay that debt back."

The forum fell into an eerie silence as everyone digested his explanation. It made sense, but it was also daunting.

Finally, the Gambler broke the quiet, asking the question on everyone's mind. "But Metatron, according to what you're saying, a level 9 player would need to kill 1,500 monsters to reach level 10. Isn't that... an issue?"

Metatron's reply was direct. "Why do we have to reach level 10 in the first place?"

He then tagged William directly, "@WallaceBeethovenish, do all players need to be level 10 before they can change their job?"

William, known to the forum as 'Breeze blowing over the hills', answered promptly, "Actually, I can change my job to become an extraordinary being right now."

A few murmurs followed that. 'How?'

He elaborated, "But there's another shortcut, certain potions allow even a level 1 player to become an extraordinary being. No need to grind through the levels."

The revelation left the forum buzzing, but Metatron had more to say. he posed a philosophical question, "So what is the essence of our leveling up? Is it just to boost our stats?"

"No," he answered his own question. "It's about more than that. It's about gaining power; power that goes beyond human limits, power that is difficult to understand."

"We're walking the path of the extraordinary. And what is the ultimate goal of this path? It's not just strength, but a higher understanding. We are, in essence, seeking to see God."

A hush fell over the forum as Metatron's words sank in.

"God is omnipotent, hiding at the end of every path, watching quietly as we tread these roads," he continued, his words carrying a weight that stirred something deep within the players.

"We don't become extraordinary simply for power," he said. "We become like ascetics, purging the impurities of the flesh and the spirit through the trials we face. It's not just a journey of strength, but of transcendence."

Her words grew more vivid, painting a picture of a grand vision. "Finally, after all the challenges, we will stand before the God we seek, basking in divine glory. We will stand at the steps of His temple, near the throne, like angels at His side. And in that moment, we will find eternal peace, bliss, and purpose."

For a long time, no one replied, but William stared at the screen, a thoughtful frown creasing his face. Metatron's words were lofty, but they resonated. This wasn't just a game, and the road ahead wasn't just about grinding for levels. It was about something much more profound; a search for transcendence.

Maybe it was worth the grind after all.

"I don't fully get it, but I'm shocked!" one player exclaimed, capturing the confusion of many. "Why does this keep getting more and more ridiculous?"

Sensing the growing bewilderment, the Forum Master stepped in to clarify, "You have to remember, Metatron follows a particular religion. That's why their perspective is more... spiritual."

The moment he said this, a wave of understanding rippled through the forum. Players nodded, expressing their realization. It wasn't just game mechanics they were discussing, it was philosophy, wrapped in the framework of the game.

Metatron, unfazed, continued explaining. "Think about the extraordinary people in the magical world. They don't operate like us, the players. Every time we level up, what is it we're actually improving?"

He posed the question with a calm certainty. "Humans, as you know, have physiological limits..."

He paused, before adding, "I doubt there are many elite athletes in this forum who have pushed themselves to their absolute physical peak. The odds of such people becoming gamers are pretty low, so most of you won't have experienced what it's like to hit that ceiling."

"If an average adult who can lift 100 kilograms is a level 1 player, does someone who can lift 500 kilograms automatically become a level 2 player?" he asked rhetorically, allowing the forum to consider.

"No," he answered before anyone could respond. "Even though they're stronger, physiologically, they're still human. The difference between them and a newborn baby is only a matter of degree. They're not extraordinary."

Her next words hung heavy in the air. "Doesn't that make you a little sad?"

The forum was silent, waiting for his to elaborate.

"As Earthlings, we are limited. For most of our lives, we remain level 1. That's the truth of it," he said, the gravity of his words sinking in.

"But what about the residents of the magical world?" Metatron continued. "Their basic qualities surpass ours, but even they are not as strong as some of Earth's strongest athletes. However, their potential; well, that far exceeds anything we can achieve naturally."

He paused for emphasis before saying, "For them, hard work can push them to level 3 or 4. With talent, some make it to level 5 or 6. The truly gifted and driven can even become extraordinary. But for Earthlings... we hit a wall. Our physical limits are much lower."

"And that," he said, his tone rising with conviction, "is why the Sequence Game is a game-changer. It lifts those limits for us. It allows us to step beyond what we were born with."

Metatron dove deeper into the mechanics. "In this game, we level up progressively, and if you allocate your points evenly, it's clear. A level 1 player can lift 100 kilograms, a level 2 player can lift 200 kilograms, and by level 10, you can lift 1,000 kilograms."

"But even if you're a strongman who can naturally lift 500 kilograms, that just means you're stronger than most at level 1. It doesn't mean you can suddenly lift 5,000 kilograms at level 10."

"That's not how it works," he explained. "No matter how strong someone is, they still have to develop their constitution as they level up. They must unlock the full potential of their physical attributes. A 10-point constitution doesn't automatically make you superhuman, it shows you how much room for growth you have left."

He concluded, "Once you reach that point, it's up to you how far you can push your body beyond those natural limits."

The forum buzzed quietly, processing the depth of his words. he wasn't just explaining a game; he was exploring the idea of human potential, both within the game and in real life. The Sequence Game was more than a grind for power; it was a journey toward understanding what it meant to surpass human limitations.

And that, more than anything, left the players in awe.